THE

LIFE

O F

OLIVER CROMWELL.

LIVER Cromwell, fon of Robert Cromwell, and Elizabeth Stuart, his wife, was born at Huntington, on the twenty fourth of April, one thousand five hundred ninety nine. His family, which was confiderable, I fhall give fome account of in the note (a).

He

(A) I fhall give fome account of his family.] We are naturally inquifitive about the descents and alliances of those who have figured in the world. Whether they fprung from new or old families? whether their fathers were men of renown? or they themselves first gave luftre to their name? are questions usually asked by fuch as read or hear concerning them. To gratify the curiofity of the reader then, the following account

(a) Short

View of the

Folio.

He was educated in grammar learning in the Free-school at Huntington, under Dr. Thomas

has been collected.

That his (Oliver's) extrac

tion by the father's fide, was from Sir Richard Williams, Knight, a gentleman of eminent note (fays Sir William Dugdale) in the court of king Henry VIII. and fon to Morgan ap Williams (a Welchman) by fifter to Thomas lord Cromwell earl of Effex, is not to be doubted. Who being by his uncle preferred to the fervice of king Henry, was for that 'cause (and no other) called Cromwell, as is apparent enough from teftimonies of credit (a).' If I have troubles in not been mifinformed, many gentlemen of the name England, P. 458. Ox- of Williams, in Wales, value themselves on this defcent ford, 1681. of Oliver Cromwell. Dugdale's account has been lately contefted by a gentleman who thinks it more probable that this family defcended by the females from Ralph lord Cromwell of Tattenhall in Lincolnshire, the laft heir male of which was lord High Treasurer in the reign of Henry VI. and one of his coheireffes mar⚫ried Sir William Williams, whofe defcendents might afterwards take the name of Cromwell, in hopes of attaining that title which Humphry Bouchier, a younger fon of the then earl of Effex, who married the eldest of the coheirefles, actually had, and was killed at Barnet field, fighting on the fide of king Edward IV. (b)-Which of thefe accounts is most probable must be left to the judgment of the reader.--HowCromwell, ever, this is certain, that Sir Richard Cromwell above Mute(A). • mentioned was fheriff of Cambridgeshire and Huntingtonshire in the time of Henry VIII. was a great favourite and commander in the wars, and had grants of abbey lands in Humingtonfire to the amount, as they were then rated, of three thoufand pounds a year. His fon, Sir Henry, was four times fheriff of the county. Sir Oliver, uncle to the Protector, gave king James I. the greatest feast that had been given

(4) Biographia Britan

nica, vol. iii. Article

6

to

Thomas Beard, a minifter of that town; from whence he was fent to Cambridge, entered into Sydney-Suffex College, April 23, 1616, and placed under the tuition of Mr. Richard Howlett (c).

of,

(c) Peck's Defiderata

curiofa, vol, 66. Wood's

ii. b. 7. P.

Fafti, vol.

What progrefs in learning he made in the univerfity we have no particular account but as he understood fome Latin, and had ii. c. 88. a tafte for polite literature, probably his

--

lock's Me

to a king by a fubject, had a great eftate, and was a (d) Biog. zealous royalift (d),' but had his compofition re- Brit. ib. mitted by the parliament for his kinfman's fake (e).' 'Tis no wonder then to find a family of fuch a rank (e) Whitallied to the Hampdens, the St. Johns, and the Bar- morials, ad. ringtons, names of fome of our most antient and emi- edit. p. 300. nent families.Mr. Coke tells us, his father being afked whether he knew the Protector, he faid, Yes, and his father too, when he kept his brew-house in Huntington (f Dugdale will explain this. Ro•bert Cramwell, fays he, though he was by the coun- tion, vol. (ƒ) Detec ⚫tenance of his elder brother, (Sir Oliver) made a juf- ii. p. 57. tice of peace in Huntingtonfire, had but a flender Lond. 1694. eftate; much of his fupport being a brew-house, in Huntington, chiefly managed by his wife, who was fifter to Sir Robert Stewart of the city of Ely, knight, and by her had iffue this our famous Oliver (g).' (g) Short This every reasonable and confiderate perfon will think View, p no difcredit to the family. For in England trade is not 459. difgraceful to a gentleman. The younger brothers of our belt families engage in it, and thereby raise themselves to fortune and independency, and advance the riches and power of their country. A much more honourable method of procuring a maintenance than following the levees of minifters and favourites, and engaging to execute their mischievous and fatal fchemes!

(b) Hiftory

of his own times,

time was not wholly mifemployed there (B).

During his continuance at Cambridge, his, father dying, he returned home to his mo

(B) He understood fome Latin, and had a taste for polite literature.] Here are my authorities. Burnet fays, he had no foreign language, but the little Latin that ftuck to him from his education, which he spoke very vitiously and scantily (b).' Another writer obferves that The ufurper loved, or affected to love, men of wit Dutch edit. Mr. Waller frequently waited on him, being his kinfman; and as he often declared, obferved him to be very swell read in the Greek and Roman ftory (i).' The following paffage I give at length, not doubting the reader will be pleafed with it.

12mo. p.

100. 1725.

(i) Waller's

Life prefix'd

to his Poems, p. 30.

izmo.

(*) Life of Dr. Man

ton, p. 20.

8vo. Lond. 1725.

When Cromwell took

on him the protectorship, in the year 1653, the very morning the ceremony was to be perform'd, a meffenger came to Dr. Manton, to acquaint him that he muft immediately come to Whitehall: the Doctor I asked him the occafion; he told him he should know that when he came there. The Protector himself, without any previous notice, told him what he was to do, i. e. to pray upon that occafion: the Doctor laboured all he could to be excufed, and told him it was a work of that nature which required fome time to confider and prepare for it. The Protector replied, • That he knew he was not at a lofs to perform the fervice he expected from him; and opening his ftudydoor, he put him in with his hand, and bid him confider there; which was not above half an hour: the Doctor employed that time in looking over his books, which he faid was a noble collection (k).' Manton was a judge.

Thefe paffages do not indeed prove Oliver's application in the univerfity; but as a tafle for books and -learning is generally acquired in the early part of life, 'tis no way improbable that he form'd it there.

ther,

ther, who after fome time fent him to Lincolns Inn, where, inftead of applying himfelf to the study of the law, he learn'd the follies and vices of the town (c).

This

(c) Inftead of studying the law, he learn'd the vices and follies of the town.] His small proficiency at Lincolns Inn, we may, I think, fairly enough conclude from the following paffage of a profefs'd panegyrift. He came to Lincolns Inn, where he affociated himself with those of the best rank and quality, and the moft ingenuous perfons; for though he were of a nature not averfe to ftudy and contemplation; yet he seemed rather 'addicted to converfation and the reading of men, and 'their feveral tempers, than to a continual poring up- (1) Pouron authors (1).' But this is by no means fufficient to traiture of give us an idea of Oliver in his younger years.

We

his royal

highness

moirs, p.

249. 8vo.

are by one writer furthermore told, that the first Oliver, p. 8, years of his manhood were spent in a diffolute courfe 12mo. ⚫ of life, in good fellowship and gaming (m). Dugdale 1659. is more large. In his youth, fays he, he was for (m) Warfome time bred up in Cambridge; [he omits his be- wick's Meing at one of the inns of court] where he made no great proficiency in any kind of learning; but then Lond. 1702. and afterwards forting himself with drinking companions, and the ruder fort of people (being of a rough and bluftering difpofition) he had the name of a Roy'fter amongst most that knew him; and by his exorbi-, tances fo wafted his patrimony; that, having attempted his uncle Stewart for a fupply of his wants, and finding that by a fmooth way of application to him ' he could not prevail, he endeavoured by colour of law to lay hold of his eftate, reprefenting him as a 6 perfon not able to govern it. But therein he fail• ed (n).' Wood obferves, that his father dying whilft he was 459. at Cambridge, he was taken home and fent to Lincolns

(") Short View, p.